The first 48 hours of the pontificate of Pope Francis have given the world a foretaste of what it is going to be like to have a Jesuit priest for the first time in history as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholic believers.Read the rest here.
Minutes after the election result was declared in the Sistine Chapel, a Vatican official called the Master of Ceremonies offered to the new Pope the traditional papal red cape trimmed with ermine that his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI gladly wore on ceremonial occasions.
"No thank you, Monsignore," Pope Francis is reported to have replied. "You put it on instead. Carnival time is over!"
It was just one small sign out of many this week that as Massimo Franco, one of Italy's shrewdest political editorial writers, commented in the Corriere Della Sera, "the era of the Pope-King and of the Vatican court is over".
It is fast becoming clear that the new Pope is not merely "low church," but is also at least moderately hostile to anything hinting at the high church ceremonial that his predecessor was seeking to bring back.
If he is not careful many will start regarding Benedict as the true Pope
ReplyDeleteWhatever one may say about the choices made, it seems not to be humility to denigrate in such a callous way one's predecessor(s).
ReplyDeleteThis assumes, of course, that the media correctly quoted the new Pope--an assumption not easily granted.
This may be interesting to watch . . . from a safe distance.
ReplyDeleteThe media is making the assumption that he disagrees with the previous Pope. It's more like he's not into certain things. The church has different charisms. The Franciscan charism is different from the Benedictine one, which is basically more into liturgy.
ReplyDeleteSavvy
The carnival is over? Did anyone catch the Media sideshow at the Vatican yesterday? I was saddened when this Jesuit Pope did not give the formal blessing in order not to offend unbelievers but rather gave it in his heart. Let us wait and see. And let us pray for him and all those who look up to him as their father.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing in his demeanor in public or private that suggests he is as mean spirited or sarcastic as it takes to say "the carnival is over." This is pure fantasy. Of course, it is your job to turn any Catholic virtue into a vice and then mock it.
ReplyDeleteFr. J,
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, two blog comments (purportedly? You decide) from Buenos Aires residents are reproduced below.
The first is a comment on Fr. Z's blog, one day before the conclave:
Ignatius says:
11 March 2013 at 8:25 am
Here in Buenos Aires, saying the OF in Latin is suicidal. The Archbishop and the “establishment” in the Archdiocese have made very clear that the ones who do this are to be considered “cryptolefebvrists”, “not ecclesially minded”, “un pastoral”, “unstable” or something like that. All these terms mean an “ecclesiastical death sentence”. Ad Orientem, in the vernacular or -worse- in Latin- is a sure sentence to ostracism. Priests who dare to do this end up immediately removed from their posts, out of “pastoral” concerns to obscure chaplaincies in the outskirts, hospitals or are denied permission to pursue higher studies. The seam if you dare to wear a cassock. The horror! Sure, there are no legal prohibitions to all this… but nonetheless…
The other is a signed comment from Rorate Caeli from one Antonio Lara, whose existence can (presumably) be verified with Una Voce Argentina:
Anonymous said...
While it is correct to give Francis some time to act, please do not fool yourselves.
I am Argentine, I live in Buenos Aires since I was born. I am 40 years old, father to four kids. I helped and hosted priests from the FSSP and the Institute of the Good Sheperd when they visited Buenos Aires. None of them was granted a single minute with Bergolgio. We visited a dozen churchs in the City, begging the priest in charge to allow the visitors to say the Mass. By direct order of Benedict, it was impossible. Only one priest allowed a Mass, and immediatley received a phone call from Bergoglio in person, who insulted in the most vulgar terms. I know this because that poor priest is a dear friend of mine.
Bergolio is a vulgar man, badly mannered, who shows a falsa attitude of dialogue and humility, but inside (when the doors are shut) he is tiranic and violent with everyone daring to secondguess him.
Bergoglio publicly defended Bishop Maccarone, after it was revealed that he had contranatura realtionships with a taxi driver (a video was available). Another extraordinary priest of Buenos Aires (Mons. Gustavo Podestá) dared to critize in his sermon "those who defend the indefensible" and within 24 hs was sacked by Bergoglio and sent home for ever (his flock in tears). Mons. Podestá even published in the parochial web page that "Mons. Bergoglio requested my resignation with great charity accepted it by telephone".
I could tell a lot more. Church in Argentina is a mock of the true Church, as regards liturgy, doctrine and public defense of pro-life agenda. And this is to thank to our new Pope.
I think that the cardinals were utterly unaware of the true nature and records of Bergoglio. A wwell devised trapp was set; it appears that Abril y Castelló collected the votes. This cardinal is also well known in Argentina since he was a Nuncio here, and was responsible for many horrendous nominations of modernist Bishops.
Believe it looks awfully bad. This has to be, nevertheless, contemplated in the Divine Plan. Perhaps a chastisemen for the world and the Church.
Kind regards,
Antonio Lara
16 March, 2013 16:25
Of course, the story that he actually said what he is alleged to have said is spurious, to say the least, yet it keeps being repeated. This blog is turning into rorate caeli, and that's no compliment. Who cares about calumniating the new pope when we can dig up as much anecdotal dirt as we can to smear him so that we are proven right at all costs! That's a more important virtue than humility to traditionalists, and apparently, to this blog. You're off to a good start in your Lenten prep.
ReplyDeleteI have my doubts about the quotes appearing from "the Vatican." None-the-less, today is another day to be grateful I am Orthodox.
ReplyDeleteI'd be surprised at someone with the education to be a Catholic bishop using that terminology --- I thought Carnival was a technical term; it means the start of Lent? He wouldn't say that IN Lent, would he? Not using it in the American semse of the word?
ReplyDeleteOther sources dispute the quote. What is more significant is Rome is de-emphasizing increasingly atheist and Muslim Europe and turning to the Global South. And the emphasis going forward is probably going to be simpler, vernacular liturgies and social justice.
ReplyDeleteAnti-Gnostic,
ReplyDeleteThe global south is big on social justice, but is also socially conservative. It's interesting to see how this works out with the Western Liberals who think the Pope is a hippy.
Savvy
Savvy:
ReplyDeleteI know frustrated Episcopalians and hopeful Catholics like to imagine these things, but the Global South is not really any more socially conservative than the US. Their popular culture is just as debauched as ours, and they have equally high or higher rates of criminal violence and STD's including HIV/AIDS. Argentina and Chile are kind of exceptional.
If Francis did make that comment then I think his days may be numbered. The Holy Spirit signalled a turnaround with Pope JP II and Benedict XVI. So it appears the cardinals got it wrong. A lot of people say he reminds them of JPI and as I recall JPI intended to change things but didn't get the chance. It is not Francis who is in charge but God.
ReplyDeleteThe Anti-Gnostic,
ReplyDeleteI never said Christians in the global south were saints. The main issue as I see it right now is 3% of the LGBT community, trying to impose their nonsense globally, by arguing that it's a human right like race. Christianity is standing in their way.
What is the major issue causing schism in the Western church today?
Savvy